Of Sunshine and Solar Systems
by OhHeyAl
Summary: / "Sammy, we don't have a ball big enough to be the sun..." / "You can be the sun." /


It was just another summer day in Lima, Ohio. Most of the kids were out in the park or at the swimming pool save for little Sammy and Lucy. Both were busy painting old Christmas balls that fit perfectly in their hands. It was all Sam's idea but really he only got it because Lucy insisted on talking about stars and planets and how they're so far away that she could never see them with her own eyes.

"But why not?" he asks. She shrugs her small shoulders and starts kicking up her swing even higher, leaving him to contemplate what he could do to bring them just a little closer to her.

So a week later, after Lucy almost completely forgets about the whole conversation, Sam comes up to her door like he did every day except with a whole bunch of paint and Christmas ornaments in a bag. He tells her to come out to their treehouse quickly. It's always been _their_ treehouse, never Lucy's and Frannie's because Frannie lost interest a long time ago when she discovered magazines and makeup and pop music.

When she gets there Sam immediately explains with bubbly eagerness that he wants to make a solar system to hang in their treehouse. He even looked it up and everything. He brings out her book about astronomy that she's barely even touched and shows her all the different colours of the planets. He's never even thought about what _colour _they'd be. He just thought they were all twinkling things in the sky.

Lucy just stares at him wide eyed, realising that he was paying attention all that time ago when she made a passing comment about the stars. She sees how big his grin is that it shows the gap in his teeth that she secretly found adorable.

She's brought out from her thoughts when Sam shoves a ball into her hands and tells her to start painting Venus while he goes ahead with Mars. Huh. The planets of love and war aptly describes them.

When Frannie decided she wanted to grow up and stop playing with Lucy, Sam was really the only friend she had left. After all, they've been neighbours for the longest time and their families went to the same church. Who else was she supposed to get into trouble with during the long sermons every Sunday? They always got into fights, albeit insignificant ones. The worst they could physically do were all pinches and hair pulling and one would always apologise before the other could even think about holding a grudge.

She begins coating the ornament with a layer of white while he goes on and charges his with a bright red. Typical boy, Lucy thinks while rolling her eyes.

They paint for a while in comfortable silence with her legs casually slung over his and his tongue poking out in concentration. That is, until Lucy realises something and voices it out.

"Sammy, we don't have a ball big enough to be the sun..."

Sam looks around to see that she's right. Of course, he thinks, she's always right. He throws her a cheeky grin and says, "You can be the sun."

She thinks he's just talking about her hair and how yellow it is but really he meant so much more by it. Everything about her reminds him of the sun. Her bright eyes, her brilliant smile, just everything. His cheeks are starting to warm and he's glad that she's too entirely focused on painting her planet that she doesn't notice.

By the time they finish painting and cleaning their mess, the sun is about to go down. They set about stringing their planets around the treehouse and turn on all the fairy lights just as the sky begins to dim. They both look up at what they've made and unconsciously shuffle closer together. The lights give out a small glow to each planet, and Sam's already thinking about putting up constellations for her.

Lucy reaches out for Sam's hand, still streaked with paint, and smiles at him. "Thanks for this, Sammy." She whispers, and gives him a peck on the cheek. He knew she was having a tough time. He could hear her parents arguing through his bedroom window. He knew how upset she would get and that just drove him to doing this for her sooner.

He's reluctant to let go of her hand but he hears both their mothers calling them in for dinner. She knows how anxious he is about letting her go but she assures him that there's no need for him being overprotective tonight and that she'll see him again in the morning, "just as the real sun comes up, not our imaginary one!" He spares her a glance and a chuckle before they both climb down the tree onto solid ground. He returns her peck on the cheek and runs away laughing, leaving her standing in surprise.

"See you tomorrow, Lucy!" Sam yells as he jogs backwards down the street. She waves at him from the bottom of the tree, brilliant smile once again in place, the smile reserved only for the boy who would bring the whole Universe to her.

* * *

**AN: **_Ah, there you have it folks. This oneshot was inspired by this lovely fanart ( www . daddystriker . tumblr . com[/]post[/]64844888771[/]we-dont-have-a-ball-big -enough-to-be-the-sun) and it was just too cute for my life. I'd honestly love to write about all her Fabrevans art but she doesn't know me and it might be a little weird, ha. I really want to write more about these two but I just hate my writing right now. I just found a multichapter fic that I began to write but I lost steam before I even got to the good parts. I'm gonna try and focus on that now though! And there'll be more oneshots, one day..._

_My Muse and I would be eternally grateful if you left a review :)_


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